Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Midterm checklist

check Are you ready for your mid-term exams?

To prepare for your mid-terms start by checking the course syllabus. The syllabus will outline all of the topics you’re responsible for knowing and/or skills you need to demonstrate. Build a checklist for each week and honestly evaluate if you know the material. Next, check all of your previous assignments and pay close attention to those items that were incorrect. Making sure you understand how errors were made is a great way to prepare. If you still have questions, ask your instructor if they have any feedback.

PCC offers a variety of resources to help you prepare for mid-terms and finals. Check out our Tutoring Services, located on each campus and online for help with classes and writing papers. If you need test-taking tips, study help, or guidance with test anxiety contact one of our Counseling offices and meet with a counselor for assistance.

check Do you need help with your classes?

Not knowing how you’re doing in a class is stressful. This is particularly important in courses that are prerequisites for other classes, like math and foreign languages. You want to make sure you have a good foundation to build future success.

If you are having trouble in a class, make sure to get help before it is too late. Getting to know your instructor, utilizing their office hours, and talking with them about a problem as soon as you can will help you decide what to do. Academic advisors and counselors can also give you advice on what to do, and the earlier you talk with someone, the more options you have.

check Are you thinking about withdrawing from a class?

Occasionally withdrawing from a class can be a good idea, but it can also land you in a lot of trouble. Before you withdraw from a class, make sure you understand how a withdrawal will affect your academic standing and access to financial aid. Make sure you talk with an Academic Advisor before you withdraw from a class. If you have Financial Aid, Veterans Benefits, or any other type of aid, make sure to talk with the appropriate office before you withdraw from your class.

check Do you have your academic plan ready for next term?

Having a solid academic plan is an important part of being a successful student. Registration for the next term will begin while you are still in classes! Be ready for registration by seeing an Academic Advisor for next term or long-term planning. Pro-tip: optimal times to see an advisor are weeks 2-6. Use the class schedule to get a head start on registration. Also, check out the Term-to-Term Checklist on the MyPCC Home tab for a step-by-step registration guide.

check Do you know if you have holds?

Holds can be placed on your account by a variety of offices, like advising, financial aid, and student accounts. If you know that you have a hold on your account, take care of it as soon as possible. Some holds can sometimes take several days to resolve, so don’t want to wait until the last minute! Often, students will have more than one hold on their account from multiple offices. Make sure you know who to contact to get each one resolved.

To check for holds:

1. Log in to MyPCC
2. Click See when (and if) you can register in the middle column of the home tab
3. Select the registration term can click Submit
4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the small link at the bottom View Holds
5. The new page will display all of the holds on your account, if any